Restaurants put aside competition during pandemic

Restaurants that may normally compete for the same customer’s dollars teamed up this week against the inconveniences of COVID-19.

Pizza Scene on Main Street in Miami Lakes and in Hialeah began giving away medium pizza pies to families locked down at home while homeschooling their children during the pandemic.

“We want to give back to the community,” Hector Rodriguez, owner of Pizza Scene said on March 18. “These are our customers, and this is a time of need.”

It’s also a time when local, small restaurants really need the support of their customers.

“Shopping local is a big thing,” Rodriguez said.

Each day, Pizza Scene will donate 10 of their New York-style cheese pies from their two locations.

At the Miami Lakes shop, a donation board holds tickets that represent pizza pies that customers, as well as the owner of NQC restaurant have donated to the cause.

Any parent can come in, pick up the ticket and take home a free pie.

The goal, Rodriguez said, was to provide lunch for stressed out parents and kids.

NQC, which is also in Miami Lakes, donated five tickets on the first day.

“Hector and I are friends,” said Mylo Gonzalez, owner of NQC in the Lake Katharine Shopping Center.

NQC stands for “No Quiero Cocinar” in Spanish, or I don’t want to cook in English. The restaurant operates from inside a former Farm Store drive-thru.

“We’ve seen first-hand what a strong community can accomplish,” Gonzalez said. “The Holy Spirit got me to do it. We are fortunate God has blessed us with a drive-thru business.”

Gonzalez said any potential rivalry between the restaurants was put aside during this unprecedented crisis.

“It came naturally to help,” Gonzalez said. “We do things out of love. We don’t compete.”

Pizza Scene will continue to donate pies as long as they can and plan to stay open until authorities tell them they must close, Rodriguez said.

Pizza Scene (www.pizzascene.com) is at 6725 Main St. in Miami Lakes and at 2360 W. 68th St. in Hialeah.

NQC (www.nqcmiami.com) is at 6189 Miami Lakes Dr.

For more information or to make a donation, call 305-558-3212.